Sea Breeze Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/23/21
Tested by
Sean Michael Johnson
Photo of Sean Michael Johnson
Tested by Sean Michael Johnson
Sean is an award-winning bartender with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the head bartender at the two-Michelin-star restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther, crafting cocktail menus that have caught international attention. To date, he has made over 1 million cocktails, and counting.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Sea Breeze Cocktail

The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
574 Calories
2g Fat
120g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 574
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 120g 44%
Dietary Fiber 16g 58%
Total Sugars 79g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 356mg 1,778%
Calcium 239mg 18%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 1491mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The sea breeze is a popular cocktail and part of a collection of vodka and fruit juice drinks. This recipe adds a hint of tart grapefruit juice to the Cape Codder (aka vodka cranberry). It's a delicious, spiked fruit punch that's a refreshing delight on hot summer days. After one taste, you'll quickly realize why it has long been a favorite bar drink.

It really could not be easier to mix up a sea breeze. The drink requires just three ingredients—vodka with cranberry and grapefruit juices—and is built right in the glass. It's served over ice and you can make it as tall or as short as you like, or even mix it up by the pitcher.

0:21

Click Play to See This Popular Sea Breeze Cocktail Come Together

"Before the pretentious term “mixology” began to infiltrate bartending and drink making, there were beautifully simple cocktails like the Cape Cod, Salty Dog, and the Sea Breeze. These cocktails brought happiness to countless imbibers. Like its colleagues, the Sea Breeze has stood the test of time because it is simply delicious when made correctly. Great recipe!" —Sean Johnson

Sea Breeze Cocktail Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka

  • 3 ounces cranberry juice

  • 1 ounce grapefruit juice

  • 1/2 grapefruit slice, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sea Breeze Cocktail ingredients

    The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

  2. In a highball glass filled with ice cubes, pour the vodka and fruit juices.

    vodka and fruit juices in a glass with ice

    The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

  3. Stir well.

    Sea Breeze Cocktail in a glass

    The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

  4. Garnish with a grapefruit slice. Serve and enjoy.

    Sea Breeze Cocktail garnished with a grapefruit slice

    The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

Tips

  • The sea breeze is one of the few drinks in which the quality of your vodka is not going to make a significant difference. The fruit juices will mask slight impurities, so feel free to use your "well" vodka here.
  • Look for a quality budget-friendly vodka that you would not mind drinking straight. There are a number of tasty and inexpensive vodkas to choose from today.
  • Unless you have a juicer and it is cranberry season, making fresh cranberry juice is not as easy as making other fruit juices. However, with grapefruit, a manual juicer will give you fresh juice to make a great sea breeze.

Recipe Variations

Though the 3:1 mix of cranberry to grapefruit juices is customary for the sea breeze, feel free to adjust the ratio to suit your taste.

  • Transform this into a punch by maintaining the proportions and scaling up each ingredient. For example, to fill a 60-ounce pitcher, combine 11 ounces (1 1/3 cups) vodka, 30 ounces (3 3/4 cups) cranberry juice, and 10 ounces (1 1/4 cups) grapefruit juice. Stir and adjust to taste. Add a little ice to the pitcher or pour it over ice in the glass.
  • The sea breeze can also be shaken and strained over fresh ice. This adds a little more air to the drink, which is very appealing, especially on really hot days.
  • Add extra zing by choosing a flavored vodka. Almost any of the fruit vodkas—particularly strawberry and citrus—are a fantastic base.
  • Give the juice drink a little sparkle. Club soda, tonic water, and ginger ale are excellent choices that will lighten up the drink.

Vodka and Fruit Juice Variations

The vodka and fruit juice family of drinks includes many drinks that are very similar. All are made in the same way, but the variations can be confusing. Here's the breakdown:

  • Sea breeze is cranberry with grapefruit juice.
  • Greyhound adds grapefruit juice.
  • Cape Codder mixes with cranberry juice.
  • Madras is made with cranberry and orange juice.
  • Bay breeze is equal parts pineapple and cranberry juices.

How Strong Is the Sea Breeze?

You can make this drink as strong or soft as you like. It's all about how much juice you choose to pour. If you follow the recipe with 80-proof vodka, it's a relatively tame 10 percent alcohol by volume (20 proof). This is average for a fruit or soda highball and about the same as a glass of wine.